Press Releases

Original Research and Buried Bloomberg-Era Reports Show Commercial Waste System Produces More Trash, Recycles Less than Previously Believed With Earth Day and PlaNYC’s Renewal Looming, Advocates Call on Mayor de Blasio to Raise the City’s Dismal Recycling Rate
New York,

New Campaign Exposes Dirty and Dangerous Commercial Waste System
New York, NY— With the renewal of the City’s sustainability plan, PlaNYC, expected later this month, advocates are urging the administration to include a waste reduction goal in PlaNYC. To mark

November 15 is America Recycles Day, a day intended to raise awareness about the importance of recycling. Sponsored by major corporate brands, the day is promoted heavily on social media with the individualistic “I recycle” brand.
Instead of simply joining the social media conversation, activists around the country who are involved with the national Transforming Trash campaign decided to disrupt the mainstream, corporate-dominated messaging that emphasizes personal responsibility for recycling. In many places throughout the country, recycling programs are very weak or simply not available.

New York City has taken steps toward building a more environmentally sustainable city in recent years, yet the commercial waste industry has been largely overlooked – much to the detriment of New York’s economy, environment, communities and workers.
New York City’s restaurants, offices and businesses generate a staggering 3.2 million tons of solid waste each year, over half of which is buried in landfills or incinerated. Commercial waste is collected by a highly dysfunctional, outsized private system. The overabundance of garbage trucks on the road contributes to some of the worst smog in the country, as well as violations of clean air standards and extreme noise pollution. We are now calling for change.

A new coalition of labor, environmental justice, community and other advocates convened on the steps of City Hall to launch a new campaign to tackle the problems in the commercial solid waste industry. This is the first time that such a broad-based coalition has united around recommendations to improve commercial solid waste management in New York City.